Complementarities between urban and rural areas in promoting ...

COMPLEMENTARITIES BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS IN PROMOTING EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL INCLUSIONPART 1Initial thoughts on a balanced urbanand rural development in promotingemployment and social inclusion1. IntroductionBalanced urban and rural development is animportant element to be considered in tacklingemployment and social inclusion and should betaken into greater account in the EU funded programmespost-2006. While the prevailing socialcontexts differ, urban and rural development donot exist in isolation and the practical measurestaken to address these problems are often thesame. Cooperation and coordination betweenlocal government in cities and rural areas cancontribute to mutually beneficial solutions andcan improve the living conditions of the populationin both areas.Interdependencies between rural and urbanareas vary from region to region and are dependanton the spatial and structural context oftheir respective areas.1.2. TOWARDS A COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHCooperation between urban and rural areasshould create comprehensive social and economicbenefits. These areas can provide a valuablecomplement to each other. Urban and rural areascan benefit and learn from each other in termsof the tools and processes used in order to tacklesocial exclusion and unemployment.1.1. INTERDEPENDENCIES BETWEEN URBANAND RURAL AREASTraditionally, urban and rural areas have oftenbeen seen as exclusive areas. EU structural fundsprojects have, to date, not laid a particularemphasis on integrating the different processesof rural and urban employment and social inclusion.Nevertheless, interdependencies betweenrural and urban areas have always existed andthese have become more complex over recentdecades. The increasingly complex relationshipbetween urban and rural areas is caused bygreater mobility and accessibility between townand country.Cooperation and complementary learning processescan be promoted through networks ofurban and rural areas. These networks can be ofa regional, interregional or trans-national character,and can help to create a more even economicand social development. However, meansof cooperation between urban and rural areasmight differ according to the varying structuraland spatial relationships existing between thesetwo areas.— 6 —Interdependencies between urban and ruralareas can be described in terms of populationflows such as movement of people in search foremployment, education and training, or recreation.It is also evident that these interdependenciescan be described in terms of structures.